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Books for those of no fixed religion but want 'life guidance'

Marianne72

I tried and failed to find the thread asking people's favourite philosopher, hence this new post. I'm near the end of my journey [on earth] and seeking decent books on spirituality not allied to a particular faith. I wanted to share books I've found useful for day-to-day living, with all its difficulties and stressors.

I've joined a lot of different 'styles' over the years - Christianity, Quakerism, Vedanta, Black Baptist.. They each have merits, not least social opportunities, inclusion and support. But I lost belief in a God, and sliding toward being humanist and a Stoic. I want to live a moral life but not chained to a formal faith.

For the last 7 years I've followed the books by modern philosopher, Ryan Holiday, who follows Stoicism - The Daily Stoic. I've found daily Journal writing really helpful, particularly when recovering trauma or my tendency to ruminate on past hurts and abuses.

I am also fond of modern philosopher Alain de Botton. The one I'm reading now is, 'Religion for Atheists' - by turn amusing, amazing and thought-provoking. He puts forward an interesting idea that ditching formal religion as a whole is like throwing out the baby with the bathwater; that  precepts of major religions have a lot to teach about how to live. So, why not use these to form a religion for atheists [those who do not formally believe in a God but want 'morals' to live by]. With the loss of church power and nothing to take its place, Botton makes interesting reading.

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  • For anyone who is interested in spirituality but, for one reason or another, doesn't want to explore the various Christian spiritualities, I would highly recommend having a look at Taoism. There are several modern translations of the Tao Te Ching, including one by Ursula K Le Guin which may be particularly appealing to those who have enjoyed her SF and fantasy. (She used to describe herself as an inconsistent Taoist and a consistent un-Christian.)

    Personally, I have found my home in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. There is a reassuring stability to Orthodox worship (to the point where if you are familiar with the structure of the Liturgy, it really doesn't matter a great deal what language it is being celebrated in.) And I find Orthodox spirituality much more flexible than its Western cousins.

  • in reply to Wordsmith

    Plus it is more efficient - soak the leavened bread in wine, get both at once! Its two tier system, parish priests who can marry and monks and bishops who cannot, always seemed eminently sensible to me.

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  • in reply to Martin

    And more tolerant / forgiving / realistic. For example, unlike most other Christian churches it has for centuries recognized that sometimes divorce is a more acceptable option than forcing a couple to remain married. It has always tempered Christian idealism with a principle of 'economy' (i.e. sometimes practical realities / the command to love supersedes the ideal).